Marketing Isn't About You

Almost every day, I see marketing done by fellow dry cleaners, and it is all about them. How great their service is, how their quality is second to none, how they have the best deals, and the friendliest CSRs, and so on. Most websites are the same way. The focus is on the business.
 
This is a critical mistake.
 
In marketing, you are inviting your prospect into a story. This story shouldn’t be your story. It should be a story about the client. It should be their story. The story should talk about how life has been up to this point, before they met you. 
 
The story should describe the pain they felt in one of three areas – a lack of time to do meaningful things in their life, a lack of self-confidence (be careful with this one, as you don’t want to put your prospect down), and uncertainty about keep their home and family sanitary (most relevant for household items).
 
Before prospects get to know you, they have very little trust in you and don’t care much about you. This is natural. The relationship has not started yet. Their default is to seek only “what is in it for them.” They are looking for a solution to take one or more of these pains away.
 
If you only talk about how great you are, they will be turned off. Remember, they want to know “what is in it for them.” They care about the benefits TO THEM of doing business with you. It is your job, through your marketing, to explain the benefits of your services. 
 
If you are smart, you will communicate these benefits without talking much about yourself or price. As soon as you talk about price, or if you make the mistake to lead the conversation into talking about price, you will quickly be commoditized. Stay away from talking about price. Instead, focus on the benefits of doing business with you – time savings, feeling great about how they look, and family health. All benefits to them.
 
One of my favorite books, “The Ultimate Sales Letter” by Dan Kennedy will walk you through this. A great sales letter, whether it be in print, online, or delivered verbally, systemically presents your benefits (your solution) to the client’s problem (their pain) and creates a path for the client to capture the solution (the offer). One of the best copywriters, Gary Halbert, said: “All problems can be solved with a sales letter.” I think he’s right. Learn to write a great sales letter and you will never have a shortage of business or money ever again.
 
Take a look at your marketing. Make sure it focuses on your client, not on you and not on your company.
 
Have a great day!

Dave